BiasAlerts

On Wednesday night, ABC’s World News Tonight and anchor David Muir restarted the media promotion of Chelsea Clinton’s new baby with Bill and Hillary Clinton as grandparents by spending 24 seconds informing viewers of the competition between Bill and Hillary for “who gets to read to Charlotte.” Muir also took particular interest in how Hillary spends her time with the newest member of the Clinton family, remarking that Hillary has been “trying her hand at lullabies” and then joked that “we want the video of that.” Following an eight-second tease, Muir had the following brief during the program’s “Instant Index”:... continue reading

In a nasty screed against American Sniper on Wednesday, Rolling Stone contributing editor Matt Taibbi claimed the Oscar-nominated film was "almost too dumb to criticize" but proceeded to do so anyway, declaring: "Even by the low low standards of this business, it still manages to sink to a new depth or two." Taibbi's main problem with the movie becomes clear a few paragraphs in as proceeds to rant against the Iraq war and the Bush administration: "Sniper is a movie whose politics are so ludicrous and idiotic that under normal circumstances it would be beneath criticism. The only thing that... continue reading

The three major networks, through Thursday morning, have devoted a staggering 67 minutes and 49 seconds to obsessing over every aspect of whether the New England Patriots cheated in their AFC championship win on Sunday. Yet, only ABC allowed a scant 34 seconds to the Obama administration's release of five terrorists out of Guantanamo Bay and back to areas connected with extremist violence. The contrast is 120-to-1. NBC was, by far, the most lopsided in terms of journalistic priorities. From Monday through early Thursday, the network's morning and evening shows produced 33 minutes and 35 seconds to the so-called "Deflategate."... continue reading

Andrea Mitchell, NBC News Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent, has been reporting from Cuba since Wednesday, covering the first face-to-face meetings between U.S. and Cuban officials in decades, and has used her visit as an opportunity to promote the country of Cuba. On Thursday, Mitchell interviewed former Cuban diplomat Carlos Alzugaray on her daily MSNBC program Andrea Mitchell Reports . The NBC reporter seemed perplexed that her guest would dare compare Cuban President Raul Castro to President Obama because President Obama is a “youthful American president” and Castro is an “elderly Cuban president.” The MSNBC host began by wondering how anyone... continue reading

Introducing a segment on Thursday's NBC Today about parents saving for college, co-host Matt Lauer and the show's financial editor Jean Chatzky spent a scant twenty-four seconds on President Obama's recently announced proposal to hike taxes on college savings accounts. Lauer noted: "Talk to me a little bit about what President Obama was referring to when he gave the State of the Union address and he talked about proposing changes to 529 accounts." Chatzsky explained the significance of the plan: "Yeah, he didn't actually say it, but he issued some language about it and essentially he's looking at taxing money... continue reading

On Thursday, NBC’s Today gave Hillary Clinton some free publicity following a policy speech she gave in Canada on Wednesday. During a news brief in the 7:00 a.m. hour, Natalie Morales gushed how Mrs. Clinton “may try her hand at comedy. During a policy speech in Canada on Wednesday, Clinton described a mock conversation that Vladimir Putin had with himself about becoming Russia’s president again after initially leaving office.” The Today co-host then aired a clip of Mrs. Clinton attempting to imitate Vladimir Putin by saying “Vladimir, you think you'd like to be president again? I think I would actually... continue reading

Following NBC Nightly News ’ infomercial for Cuba on Wednesday night , on Thursday morning, NBC’s Today offered up more of the same as the network eagerly cheered the “historic talks” between the United States and Cuba. In a live report from Havana, Andrea Mitchell, NBC News Chief Foreign Affairs correspondent, boosted the talks and touted how “for these American college students from Brown University, studying in Havana, born after the Cold War, it's a chance to witness history.” The NBC reporter began her coverage by hyping how “the president's new opening to Cuba is broadly popular according to our... continue reading

Appearing on PBS's Charlie Rose Tuesday night following President Obama's State of the Union address, Bloomberg View columnist Al Hunt praised it as "one of the best speeches of his presidency" and "remarkably effective," before admitting: "I don't think he's going to get much done....This is not a cycle where you get much done. He may get a little stuff on trade and infrastructure." Rose interjected: "So then the point is to reassert the debate." Hunt replied: "The debate is going to take place over the next two years leading up to the presidential election and I think he set... continue reading

Talking to a Cuban woman in Havana, NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams despaired over what an influx of American tourists would mean to the wonders of the communist “revolution” with its 50-plus year-old cars: “When Americans are here and planes and hotels and the cars are 2015 cars and not 1958 cars, what happens to the revolution?” The 26-year-old woman, whom Williams described as having “a biology degree but works as a freelance producer here” – meaning she helps the regime guide foreign press – assured Williams: “I think now we’re having new revolution. Americans coming to Cuba is... continue reading

NBC News senior White House correspondent Chris Jansing did her best to provide some White House spin during Wednesday’s NBC Nightly News , hailing President Obama as “an energized, combative President” whose policies made for a “carefully choreographed, populist message with the details generally panned by Republicans.” Also within her report, Jansing found time to chide House Speaker John Boehner for “an unprecedented breach in protocol” in inviting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to speak before Congress without White House consultation. In the midst of the nearly endless Cuba coverage , anchor Brian Williams introduced Jansing’s report on President Obama’s... continue reading

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